The Town Files

Barrington, Illinois

Village in Cook County · population 10,722 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties

Map: where Barrington is in IllinoisBarrington
Median home
$582,500
Household income
$147,989
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 81°
Snow a year
39 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
17
Median age
43.9

Barrington is a village of 10,722 people in Cook County, Illinois. The median home is worth $582,500, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks more upscale than 97% of Illinois towns, better for young professionals than 94% of Illinois towns, better for retirees than 87% of Illinois towns.

How Barrington ranks

Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.

Barrington lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement87th pctFamilies79th pctQuiet27th pctWalkability62nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals94th pctVibrancy70th pctHip & trendy48th pctCollege town67th pctUpscale97th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling76th pctTransit87th pctDriving8th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Barrington is worth $582,500, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 3.9 times the median household income of $147,989, which is more affordable than 5% of Illinois towns. Median rent is $1,500 a month. 78.4% of households own their home.

Barrington vs Cook County vs typical Illinois townBarringtonCook CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$582,500$324,500$156,600Household income$147,989$83,498$72,500Monthly rent$1,500$1,435$960
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingBarringtonTypical Illinois town
Median home value$582,500$156,600
Median rent$1,500$960
Median household income$147,989$72,500
Home value ÷ income3.9×2.2×
Homeownership78.4%76.6%
Median year built19711967
Seasonal / vacation homes0.6%—

Who lives in Barrington

PeopleBarringtonTypical Illinois town
Median age43.940.4
Age 65 and over22.1%18.7%
Under 1828.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher68.0%21.8%
Below the poverty line4.6%9.9%
Veterans3.7%—
Born outside the U.S.11.4%—
Work from home33.9%8.9%
Average commute30.5 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband95.3%90.4%

Weather in Barrington

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 13.4°F. About 40.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.5 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 137 nights at or below freezing.

Barrington monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°13°Jan33°16°Feb45°27°Mar58°37°Apr69°48°May78°58°Jun81°63°Jul79°61°Aug72°54°Sep60°42°Oct46°30°Nov34°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.112.61.98.52.44.64.01.15.24.64.04.63.63.40.12.62.02.29.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Barrington 3Sw station (3.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Barrington since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 21, 1967 about 5.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 114 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on February 27, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Barrington by decade11950s51960s11970s01980s01990s12000s02010s92020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 143 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 26, 2019.

Severe weather in Cook County since 1996

Storm events in Cook County since 1996 by typeHail577Flood220Tornado49High Wind46Lightning57Heavy Rain61Flash Flood207Winter Storm26
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cook County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 34 deaths recorded.

Cook County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 20, 2024FloodDR-4819: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng
November 20, 2023FloodDR-4749: Severe Storms And Flooding
August 15, 2023Severe StormDR-4728: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3435: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Cook County

Cook County had 2,565,567 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $86,931 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Barrington itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.

Largest industries in Cook CountyHealth care & social assistan…384,200 jobs · $64,525Professional & technical serv…239,300 jobs · $143,750Hotels & restaurants231,612 jobs · $36,807Retail214,653 jobs · $42,744Administrative & support181,641 jobs · $62,372Manufacturing176,781 jobs · $84,867
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cook County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Cook 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Barrington

9 public schools with 6,944 students, about 14.2 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Barrington High School9-122,75916.4
Barrington Middle Sch Station6-894813.5
Barrington Mdle Sch- Prairie Cmps6-894413.3
Grove Avenue Elem SchoolK-550113.9
Arnett C Lines Elem SchoolK-548813.6
Roslyn Road Elem SchoolK-545212.6
Countryside Elem SchoolK-540010.8
Hough Street Elem SchoolK-525911.8
Barrington Early Learning CenterPK-PK19314.8

Towns near Barrington

Barrington questions

Is Barrington, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Barrington scores better for retirees than 87% of Illinois towns and quieter than 27%. 22.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.9).

How much does a house cost in Barrington?

The median owner-occupied home in Barrington is valued at $582,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $147,989, so homes cost about 3.9 times income. Median rent is $1,500 a month.

What is the weather like in Barrington?

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 13.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.4 inches of precipitation a year and 38.5 inches of snow.

Does Barrington get tornadoes?

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Barrington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 21, 1967. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Barrington's Census boundary (GEOID 1703844). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.